On Tuesday night I was driving home from working in child care at a local church. Getting to and from the aforementioned church takes me down several less traveled country roads. I was at an intersection by the Blue Store Gas Station attempting to turn left from a highway onto a country road. When I pulled up to the light, I noticed a state trooper had someone pulled over in the parking lot of the Blue Store. "Noted," I thought to myself. "There is a police officer right there. I must make sure I obey all traffic laws to the letter."
I was sitting at a red light. No green circles, or even flashing yellow arrows, letting you turn left while the oncoming traffic has a green. I pull up to the light at approximately 9:10pm. At 9:15 I realize that I have somehow managed to not trip the light sensor. The light has gone through several rotations and no green arrow for Joanna. I try pulling forward a little bit (mind you the cop is still sitting at the gas station). Another cycle of lights; no green for Joanna.
So I decided I would wait for the police officer to finish with his current ticket giving and go on his merry way and then I would figure out what I would do. Around 9:20, he finishes. Pulls out of the parking lot drives down the highway behind me. About the time I am losing his tail lights (I didn't want to do anything before that) he flips a U-Turn, parks, and turns his lights off. Well crud, what am I supposed to do now?!?
So I call my dad. I figure whatever I do, at least if I do what my dad says to, he can't give me a guilt trip if I get a ticket, right? Dad's response, "I have no idea what I would do." Not. Helpful. I spend about 5 minutes talking to my dad, trying to come up with the best solution. and nothing is coming to mind.
While I was on the phone with my dad, a car finally pulled in behind me in the turn lane and tripped the sensor. I gleefully turned at my green arrow and looked in my rear view mirror sending well wishes to the person behind me. And they definitely needed them. They got in the turn lane because the police officer was pulling them over.
But the real question is, what if that person had not pulled into the turn lane? What are you supposed to do in such a situation? No one has given me an answer yet. Any of you have any ideas?
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Assuming I understand where you were stopped, I think I would have put my right blinker on and pulled over to go straight through the light (or turned right instead of left). Then I would have gone up, found a place to turn around in, and approached the same turn from the opposite direction, this time so I could make a right. Not sure if this would have been possible, but it's what popped into my mind! :)
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